Skimmerhorn Winery & Vineyard
2006 Pinot Noir Rosé(British Columbia)
The 14 acre vineyard at the Skimmerhorn Winery is the first substantial planting of vines in eastern British Columbia’s Creston Valley. Owners Al and Marleen (sic) Hoag have a good grasp of the terroir after growing apples, cherries and other fruit in the valley since 1984.
Starting in 2003, they planted a prime south-facing slope. The major varieties here are Pinot Gris, Ortega, Maréchal Foch, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Noir, all chosen for their ability to ripen well within the valley’s season, which is somewhat shorter than the Okanagan.
The debut wines from Skimmerhorn, which is just opening, have all been released under screw cap closures that preserve the vibrant cool-climate fruit aromas and flavours. This Pinot Noir rosé joins the growing number of pink wines released this spring by British Columbia wineries, responding to the rising demand for rosé.
The wine has an eye-catching hue of deep, almost electric pink. The clean, fruity aroma suggests fresh raspberry. On the palate, there is a rich fruit salad of flavour – raspberry, strawberry, McIntosh apple. The finish is crisp, dry and delightfully refreshing. 88 points.
Reviewed June 18, 2007 by John Schreiner.
Other reviewed wines from Skimmerhorn Winery & Vineyard
The Wine
Winery: Skimmerhorn Winery & Vineyard |
The ReviewerJohn Schreiner has been covering the wines of British Columbia for the past 30 years and has written 10 books on the wines of Canada and BC. He has judged at major competitions and is currently a panel member for the Lieutenant Governor’s Awards of Excellence in Wine. Both as a judge and as a wine critic, he approaches each wine not to find fault, but to find excellence. That he now finds the latter more often than the former testifies to the dramatic improvement shown by BC winemaking in the past decade. |